“Not so fast,” Angie laughed as I started to open the door. “You can’t go out like that.”
I glanced down at my dress and heels. My boobs weren’t popping out and my ass was still covered up, so I didn’t see an issue. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I pouted.
She smacked me on the ass playfully. “You look sexy as fuck, and you know it,” she admonished. “I meant no one can tell that you’re the bride. Ladies!”
A tiara proclaiming me the bride was produced and set magnanimously on my head. Then Kin placed a white sash around me that read BRIDE in pink glitter. I was just thankful no one had produced any penis merchandise. I didn’t want to go around sucking on a penis straw all night.
“Now she’s ready,” Kassa said with a grin. “We’re going to be getting free drinks all night.”
Downstairs, there was a huge party waiting on us, courtesy of Mom and Nat, according to the note that was waiting in the back of the limo along with a stocked bar of water, Gatorade, champagne, and enough liquor to keep us buzzed all night long. Marcus gave me a wink as he shut the door and then climbed into the front with the driver. I breathed a sigh of relief and held out my hand for one of the glasses Angie was already pouring. I planned on drinking some that night, but it would have felt uncomfortable if Marcus were giving me disapproving looks. That wink told me I could relax and flash my fake ID around if I needed to.
The first stop of the night was dinner. Apparently, I had to have a thirteen-inch wiener from Serendipity 3. It was the only dick pun I was willing to laugh at as Jenna snapped pictures of me stuffing my mouth full of the hotdog, while Santana took a few with her camera to add to a photo book she was making for me of the weekend.
The next stop was a little more decadent. Instead of a bar crawl, we went on a chocolate lounge crawl. We stuffed ourselves with orgasmic little samples of some of the best chocolate I had ever tasted. While we six girls enjoyed it, I noticed Gray and Marcus sampling a few goodies themselves. The two were staying out of our way, but they still weren’t far from us at all times. I thought Marcus seemed a little relieved to have someone keep him company as well as help him manage six chicks buzzed and on a sugar high.
The burlesque show Kin took us to next was perfect, because I hadn’t wanted to see any dicks flying around or have some strange guy rubbing up on me.
I was dead on my feet by the time we got back to the hotel. I barely had enough brain power to set an alarm for the next morning, and I fell into bed beside Kin. I figured she would have been more exhausted that I was, but she was on her phone texting away like a woman on a mission.
“Sleep,” I groaned and reached over to snatch her phone out of her hands.
“Lucy!” she squealed and took the phone back. “I was talking to Jace.”
“Oh. Sorry,” I mumbled and buried my face in my pillow, wishing it were Harris’s chest instead. I relinquished the phone but turned off the lamp beside our bed. “Everything okay?”
“He’s drunk, but at least he’s talking to me, ya know?”
Sadly enough, I did know. I reached my hand out blindly and found her arm. Giving it a little squeeze, I pulled her across the bed and snuggled against her. She wasn’t Harris, but she would do in a pinch. “Thanks for today,” I said as I drunkenly kissed her cheek. “Love you, maid of honor.”
She laughed softly and patted me on the head. “Love you too, bride.”
--
If I’d thought the day before was a great day, the next was even better. It was just Marcus with us now, since Gray had left to party with the boys for the day. But it was a considerably calmer schedule compared to the previous night.
We had high tea at the Tea Lounge on the twenty-third floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. We sampled teas from every part of the world while stuffing our faces with dainty little sandwiches and adorable cupcakes. From there, we went straight to a spa where we all had every stress knot that dared strain our bodies melted away before they placed hot stones on our backs. My favorite part of a massage was always when they got to my face, and I sighed with contentment.
“Kin, I’m glad you’re going to be my maid of honor,” Kassa said with a soft moan from the other side of the room where she was getting her own muscles worked on. “Because I could definitely do this all over again.”
“Agreed,” Santana and Angie both moaned.
“You got it, babe!” Kin promised. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the full Kin treatment.”
Once we were all coherent enough to walk again, we got into the back of a waiting limo and were taken to the Flamingo. We all frowned when the door was opened, but we stepped out. “What’s here?” I asked Jenna, who was standing beside me.
“No clue,” she said with a shrug.
“Kin?” But she only smirked at me and led the way inside.
“Oh, shit,” Angie whispered as we walked into the XBU – X Burlesque University. “Now I want to get married just so I can have a damn bachelorette party.”
“You go right ahead,” Santana said with a nervous laugh. “I’ll just experience it all through you without having to walk down the aisle.”
We all glanced her way. “You don’t want to get married?” Kassa asked with raised brows.
“Maybe one day. I’m just not all that sure you need marriage to be happy.” She grimaced. “It didn’t make my mother happy, and she ended up leaving my dad and me.”
“Don’t base marriage and happy relationships off your parents,” Jenna advised her roommate. “I don’t. My father is a whipped little pussy when it comes to my mother. And dear old mom is like a dictator who rules Dad as if he’s her own sovereign state.”
“I’m still not convinced marriage is for me. Some of the longest relationships I’ve ever seen are between people who never got married. Then, for some reason, after like twenty plus years together, they tied the knot and a year later were in divorce court,” Santana lifted a shoulder. “Kale knows how I feel about it. He’s promised not ever to propose to me. I’m the one who has to do the asking if it’s something I ever want.”
“Smart man,” Kin said with a grin. “Okay now, ladies. Be prepared to get your burlesque on. Because tonight, we’re putting these new skills to the test.”
From how to put on showgirl makeup to how to dance like one, we spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening learning some mad skills. We all left feeling sexy, which only escalated when Kin took us shopping for some of the sexiest underwear I’d ever seen.
I had enough underwear to last me the next year, but I was told it was all going in my suitcase for the honeymoon.
All except for one racy little outfit.
--
“You’re insane!” I screamed when we stepped out of the limo in front of one of the biggest strip clubs I had ever set eyes on. Considering I hadn’t seen many, that wasn’t much to go on. But seriously, the place was huge, and despite the capacity it no doubt held, there were over three hundred people standing outside the club right then, hoping to get in.
“He’s already here,” Kin informed me as the others joined us.
“But…he said he wouldn’t,” I said weakly. “He promised there wouldn’t be any strippers.”
“Oh, please,” Kassa laughed. “He didn’t even want to come. Gray had to put on some good old peer pressure to get him here.”
“Kale too,” Santana seconded.
“Caleb was putting in his two cents as well,” Angie agreed. “My twin can do a guilt trip pretty damn well. He learned from the best, though.”
“Let me guess…” Jenna snickered. “You?”
“Of course,” she said with a wink.
I gaped at all of them. “You were all in on this?”
“Well, I needed help from inside the enemy camp. And we all know Jace can’t keep a secret for shit.” Kin grimaced. “So I had no choice but to recruit the boyfriends.”
I glanced at the club entrance again. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Of course I’m sure.” She linked her arm through mine. “Aunt Emmie set it all up for me.”
Knowing my honorary aunt had helped didn’t make me feel any better about doing this. I didn’t want to ruin Harris’s party, even if the thought of him getting a lap dance made jealousy churn in my stomach. I trusted him, dammit, but I didn’t trust some random bitch to keep her hands off what was mine.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Let’s do this, then.”
We were met at the door by the manager, who immediately took us to a dressing room. The girls helped me get changed and then pushed me toward the door that led into one of the private dance rooms.
Any nervousness or misgivings I might have had disappeared the second the door closed behind me. I could sense Harris before I even saw him sitting in that chair that was so low it forced him to stretch out his long legs. Demi Lovato was already singing, and of course, Kin would have picked this song. The entire vibe to “Wildfire” was enough to get a person hot and bothered.
The lights were dim, so it took Harris a few minutes to see me until I walked out onto the smallest stage I had ever seen, equipped with a single stripper pole. I knew the instant he spotted me, though, because he inhaled sharply and didn’t release it. Refusing to look down at myself self-consciously like I so desperately wanted to do, I kept my eyes glued to him.
“Fucking hell,” he groaned low and painfully. “You’re killing me right now, sweetness. Literally killing me.”
He stood, and before I could even blink, he was grabbing me off the small stage and pulling me in for a hungry kiss. I forgot about the dance I was supposed to be giving him, forgot that I had been jealous and upset when I found out Harris was in here watching strippers take their clothes off for him. I was pretty sure I’d even forgotten my own name as he thrust his tongue into my mouth and then started working on the strings of the thong that went with my black bustier the girls had encouraged me to get earlier.
In seconds, I felt the cool breeze of the air conditioning blow over the heated and damp folds of my pussy. A moan was torn from me as he thrust two fingers into me and backed me against the wall. My jellified legs wrapped around his waist, giving him full access to the tight playground hidden between my thighs.
“Where the fuck did you get this outfit?” he growled as his lips left mine, only for him to bite down on the tender flesh just under my right ear.
I cried out in pleasure, my neck arching to give him better access, encouraging him to bite me harder. “W-we went shopping,” I moaned. “I have a ton more stuff just like this for our honeymoon.”
“Fuck!” he groaned. “I can’t wait to see them all.”
Within seconds, his jeans were down and he was thrusting into me. My nails bit into his shoulders as I strived to hold on. The ride was hard and furious, but not over quickly. Neither of us could get enough of the other. It was the first time since we had moved in together that we had spent the night apart, and the time away from him felt more like an eternity than just twenty-four hours.
My moans and screams rivaled the sounds of the music still playing, but I didn’t care who heard us. This might not have been the teasing dance Kin had prepared me for, but it was a thousand times better in my opinion. Or maybe she did know what was going to happen the second Harris and I saw each other. She probably knew exactly what was going on behind the closed door of the private room.
I wasn’t completely sure how much time passed between the moment we fell apart for each other and when we could breathe easily again. All I knew was that my legs were like Jell-O and my body was still shaking from the force of the release he’d given me.
Harris touched his lips to my brow, then my cheek, before kissing my lips tenderly. “Best bachelor party in history,” he groaned.
“I’ll second that,” I said with a soft laugh.
“Fuck, I missed you.” He kissed me again. “I don’t like being away from you. Don’t make me do it again.”
“I’ve been in Vegas just as long as you have.” His eyes narrowed on me. “I didn’t want to be far from you.”
“So you tortured me?” I grinned, and he blew out a huff. “You and Kin can be devious little bitches, you know that?”
My grin only grew wider. “We’ve been told that a time or six before, yeah.”
Someone in the dressing room knocked on the door. “Go away,” Harris called out.
“Time’s up, love birds!” Jenna shouted back. “We’re taking this party back to the hotel. You coming?”
Harris’s aquamarine eyes were still hungry as he looked down at me in my bustier. “Hell yeah. At least a few more times tonight.”
“Yes, please!”
Chapter 13
Lucy
March
The air was warm as I stepped out onto the roof. It was already seventy degrees and was only going to rise as the day went on. Or so the weatherman had predicted. I wasn’t going to complain about the unseasonably higher than normal temperature, today of all days. That it was so warm so early only helped.
“Where are we going?” Mom whispered from right behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw she looked concerned. “Why are you whispering?”
“I don’t want to get in trouble today,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t think Harris would appreciate it if we got arrested the day of your wedding.”
Laughing, I stepped farther out onto the roof to reveal the surprise I had prepared for just the two of us. “Don’t worry, Mom. No one’s going to get arrested today.”
I watched her face as she took in the little table sitting only feet from the edge of the roof. There was a small breakfast already waiting for us under covered dishes, with carafes of orange juice and water along with pots of steaming coffee and tea. But the meal wasn’t the best part of the surprise.
It was the sunrise that was only just now starting to peek up in the distance, giving the dark sky a predawn glow. I linked my arm through hers, and we crossed to the table.
“Wh-what’s this?” she asked with a little tremble to her voice as she took her seat.
“I wanted us to have a memory just for us today,” I explained, trying to swallow around the tightness that was threatening to choke me. “Something we can look back on that was just for you and me.”
She gave up trying to contain her tears. Half a dozen were already falling as she took my hand. “Thank you, baby. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
I entwined our fingers and served her a cup of coffee one-handed before taking a sip of my water. I hadn’t realized how nervous I was for this wedding until this past week. My anxiety had been giving me the worst upset stomach. Even now, hours away from walking down the aisle, I was an anxious mess.
But I wanted this moment with Mom almost as much as I wanted to say “I do.”
We were both quiet as we watched the sun come up over the city. It wasn’t the best sunrise either of us had ever seen, but it would do for the memories both of us were making today. To us, it was one of the most important sunrises we had ever experienced.
Once the sun finally lifted, we settled back to enjoy our meal. Or at least, Mom did. I uncovered my pancakes with sausage and just as quickly put the metal cover right back over it. Mom, already eating, noticed my reaction. “Honey, are you okay? You’re looking a little green.”
I pushed the plate away and scooted my chair back from the table a little, thankful when a light wind blew the scent of sausage away from me. “I’ve just had an upset stomach this week.”
“You’ve been sick all week?” Her eyes narrowed on me, became more assessing. “Are you pregnant?”
I scoffed at her question. “Of course not. It’s just nerves.”
She dropped her knife and fork onto her plate and stood. “Since when do nerves affect you like this? I might have been blind for a long time, but I know you well enough to know that nervousness never made you nauseous before.”
I took the hand she h
eld out to me. “Where are we going?” I mumbled as we went downstairs. “I wanted to spend a little more time with you before the craziness begins.”
“Oh, honey, we’re about to make a whole hell of a lot of new memories. Trust your dear old mother.” I stopped in my tracks, forcing her to turn and look at me. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not my mother,” I told her in a firm voice and watched her face fall. “You’re not my mother. You never will be.”
“L-Lucy—”
“Because you are, and always will be, my mom. My mother was just the person who gave birth to me. She didn’t contribute a single damn thing to my life other than bringing me into the world.” I hugged Mom hard and kissed her cheek. “My mom raised me. Took care of me through thick and thin and loved me more than her own self from the moment she first held my hand when I was only four years old.”
Her shoulders shook as she fought back a sob. “I love you so much,” she breathed at my ear. “You are one of my greatest joys.”
I was thankful that it was still too early for most of the hotel guests or employees to be out and about yet. We just stood there, holding on to each other as I let Mom cry. My own tears mixed with hers, and by the time she finally pulled back, we were both a snotty mess.
Laughing, she wiped her eyes and took my hand once again. “Come on. There isn’t much time.”
“But where are we going?” I whined as she pulled me onto an elevator and hit the button for the lobby.
“Just trust me,” was all she would say on the topic. Once the elevator stopped, she pulled me through the lobby and out the main entrance. We walked for three blocks before she stopped, and we walked into Walgreens.
“I have antacids in my room,” I assured her. “And some Pepto. Hell, I’ve been living off that stuff all week.”
“Yeah, I’ve been there,” she said as we walked through the drugstore to the back where the feminine hygiene section was.
“Mom, I don’t need anything from this section. I’m not on my period.”
“Really? And just when was your last period?” she asked in an oddly calm voice as she passed the rows of tampons and kept walking.
Forever Lucy Page 17
